


The Lost Heroine

by lostamongstars



Series: Qlympus: Olympus, Quickening [2]
Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Genre: ((please take this fic with a grain of salt)), Angst and Feels, Betrayal, F/F, F/M, Gen, Greek and Roman Mythology - Freeform, M/M, Mental Instability, Multi, Sacrifice, Teamwork, Temporary Amnesia, tagging here is hell let me just get that out first
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-26
Updated: 2017-09-05
Packaged: 2018-11-05 02:57:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,536
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11004531
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lostamongstars/pseuds/lostamongstars
Summary: The world lay quiet within the false banner of peace. Its unperturbed silken surface invited lit torches to set its terrible depths on fire. The task to snuff out the flames of impending chaos fell on the most unexpected of heroines.An amnesiac.But Reyna's veins ran with the blood of survivors, of those who spit on the face of deadly odds. She belonged to a place where bloodied mouths, raw fists, and sanity asunder declared two words with a lightning's might:"Not today."Together with those who are only beginning to realize that diamonds exist beneath thick dregs of heart-clenching guilt, bone-chilling shame, and scorching hatred, Reyna heeds the quest of finding what they've all lost: a goddess, her memories, the will to trust thy neighbors, and the way to defeat a growing legion of discarded pariahs threatening to raze the world.Before it's too late.





	1. I | REYNA

**Author's Note:**

> This is the 2017 version, up-to-date with the writing style (if you can even call it *that*) with the ongoing version of this on Wattpad. I've started this fic back on 2015 and... let just say that I wasn't satisfied. And since this is *still* ongoing (although it's almost done), updating this bit by bit on Wattpad would confuse people. The writing style I had back then would really clash with this one, so I had to separate them for the time being.
> 
> Kindly leave some feedback if it's not too much of a trouble. I'd love to hear what else I can do to improve on writing!  
> And thank you for giving this fic some of your time ♥

**MOVING.**

**REYNA BLINKED THE SLEEP**  out of her half-lidded eyes. Surmising the current and peculiar surroundings was the objective. And yet the task proved as daunting as capturing air. Back pain attacked her lower extremities. A dismal groan almost made out of her lips; a shy, unwelcome dawn. The seat chirped upon the slightest movement. Boisterous teenagers pounded hammers in her head. Someone from the front seats jumped again and again. His guffaws permeated the air, raising several complaints.

What an inviting place.

_( Do I belong here? )_

Reyna had the window seat, though. The sun's warm fingers stroke her face. With a sigh she turned towards it, a sunflower seeking its embrace. A soft tug at her clothes raked her attention away in vain. The world shrunk to just her and the view of weathered ridges and wide plains stretching towards the horizon. Sculptured by centuries of flowing water, moving earth, and scorching winds, the millennial-aged welcoming mat of the Grand Canyon continuously took her breath in that exhilarating way.

This was definitely one of the best trips Reyna made outside. Three crucial factors prevented her from enjoying this, though. One, this all felt too normal. Two, she didn't know the reason why she rode this bus. And three, the braided girl beside her asked an obvious question.

"Finally awake?"

Reyna relented, meeting her gaze. The other girl's eyes glowed pretty but she disliked them in a heartbeat. Changing meant uncertainty, an ever-present imbalance. You couldn't trust someone like that.

"What's wrong, Reyna?" The other girl tugged on her left hand, jolting her mind even more. "You look a little—"

"How did you know my name?"

"H-how would I not!" She chuckled, green eyes switching to a sparkling blue. "We're friends."

_( An outright lie delivered well could stand as the truth. )_

"No, we're not." The girl's perky smile dissipated further when Reyna added, "I know who my friends are, and you're not one of them."

A smile couldn't quite come up on her lips. Just looking at her body language felt wrong. "Is this some elaborate prank with—"

"It's not." Reyna leaned forward with a glare set on the other's kaleidoscopic eyes. The latter's breath hitched. "And you better answer my questions. Who are you, where are we going, and how did you know me?"

"What's gotten into you today?" She looked away for a moment, blues turning into an earthly shade of brown. "Something must've happened earlier, or maybe you just... I don't know — hit your head against the headrest a little hard..."

Reyna slumped against her seat, letting the wonder of the world and the girl's flimsy words go by. An unwanted constrictor touched her windpipe like silk, winding, gripping, suffocating. Something was wrong here, in this bus where everything was so painfully normal except for that girl. Reyna wasn't stupid. Eyes that change colors every now and then wasn't normal.

What if she was the irregularity, then? What if the reason why everything felt wrong was because her presence shouldn't have been here in the first place?

This alienation, although nothing more than a flimsy hypothesis on its own, left a bitter taste in her mouth.

In times where nothing and no one could be trusted, trusting instincts was the only optimal solution. Reyna searched for it, her next move. First things first, get out of the bus. It seemed easy enough. The bus wouldn't go on a trip forever. And if she was picking up the right cues from the voices around, this was some field trip. They had to do something somewhere, and then go back.

With a plan brewing in the creases of her mind, Reyna took a deep breath. Humanity rose from being cavemen by betting their fates on surviving. She will do the same. Whatever happened, she will defy the fate the gods had in store—

Her head hurt in a flash, making her double over. Out of the corner of her eye she noticed the girl furrowing her brows and asking if she was okay.

Reyna almost gritted out, _I don't see why I should say I am._

"Heya!" A profile of a boy's appeared on top of the seats in front of them, distracting her for three seconds. The pain ebbed. He had a Latino look about him, and an impish yet comely smile. "Is there something wrong, Rey?"

Reyna stared at him, brows creased. "Who's Rey?"

He snickered. "Your mom?"

Reyna's mouth hung open for a moment. "What in Pluto's pauldrons..."

"Valdez!" A gruff older voice shouted from up front. "Get down on your seat right now!"

Curiosity won over confusion; Reyna rose a little from her seat and glimpsed at who called the Latino guy "Valdez." He was a short man with curly red hair stuffed under a simple cap. He also had a bat, a megaphone hanging from his belt, and a glare that minced her. Reyna was sure of the latter. He stared with more intensity than she did. Was this one of the proofs that she was the odd one out after all?

Reyna's consideration of jumping out of the bus like a lunatic intensified.

"Watch this," said Valdez, switching the lane of her thoughts. She watched him turn around and cup his hands around his mouth. "Sorry, Coach Hedge. I can't hear you. Can you use your megaphone, please?"

The Coach grunted, letting out the sliver of a smug smile. He held the megaphone on his hand and started saying something — but his voice came out like Darth Vader's. Everyone cracked up and filled the bus with laughter. Reyna found herself nodding, waiting for more. When Coach Hedge (who'd gone as red as a tomato) tried again, what came out was, "The cow says moo!"

Reyna didn't know what was funnier — horror dawning on Hedge's face, the short silence that followed, or the howls of laughter shaking the bus with youthful energy. Some began hailing Leo like he was the newest young god in town.

The girl beside Reyna wept happy tears. "My god, Leo. How did you do that?"

"Haven't you heard, Piper?" Leo's eyes sparkled. "I'm a special guy."

"That's it." Those two simple words shocked all youngsters to silence. "You three over there will clean at lunch!"

The other students hooted. Some started throwing crumpled paper at their general direction. Reyna caught a few and shot it off like a fastball, bestowing stingy head shots on other students.

Why am I doing this?

"Our gracious queen," Leo muttered, "our savior."

Reyna threw the last crumpled paper. "I'm nobody's queen."

"By the way, you still have your worksheet?"

"What worksheet?"

"For the activity?" Leo snorted. "Never mind. We're pretty much the same so no doubt you lost yours, too."

"I never lose my things." She said it like it was the truth. "And what do you mean we're 'pretty much the same'?"

"ADHD and dyslexia? Suffering through reading classes and teachers who have a penchant of punishing — aha, what's with all these questions anyway?"

"I think she needs help," the girl cut in. "She... I don't know, maybe she hit her head on her bunk or Isabella pushed her or — or something. This might be serious."

_( Oh, it certainly is. )_

"You," he pointed at the girl, "are worrying too much. She looks fine, Piper." He stared at Reyna like an old man surveying an antique pocket watch. "Oh-kay, she's a little weirder than our usual Rey— "

"Am I supposed to be Rey?"

"— but still fine." He leaned back and wiggled his eyebrows. "And yes, you're Rey. You let me call you Rey, you do my share of the chores, I am your lord and satan, and I'm also your little devil — "

"Don't call me Rey."

"As you say, Rey."

Reyna heaved a sigh. It was pointless to argue.

"And seriously, Pipes," he leaned closer to them, dipping half his body over the headrest, "do you seriously think Gleeson Hedge would — "

"Leo Valdez!" shouted the coach. "Get off the damn seat and give me twenty!"

Leo dramatically gasped. "You don't say!"

"I do! Forty!"

"No!"

"Yes! Now give me a sixty or e—"

The bus abruptly stopped, throwing a few others off their seats. Complaints rang in a heartbeat. Someone screamed about ruined eye makeup, another for spilled orange juice. Only Leo laughed like a madman. "Nearly gave me a heart attack, but that was fun! Let's do it again!"

Piper stood from her seat and walked to the front of the bus. Of course, Reyna followed. For some reason the kids who clogged the way stuck themselves against the seats or each other when she was about to pass. Some of their looks at Reyna screamed, "Please don't hurt me." One in particular didn't seem fazed. Reyna made a mental note of the boy's white teeth and football jersey.

The coach was with the driver, already out on the road when both girls reached the still open doors. They stared at the sky, hands shielding their eyes from the sun's glare. The driver pointed at the sky frantically, as if he was blaming it for the sudden stop. Reyna stepped past Piper and heard a bit of their conversation.

"I know what I saw, Hedge," the driver was saying. "I saw a peanut-colored flying horse—a flying horse, man! It nearly landed on the bus and — "

"You just had too much caffeine," Coach Hedge snapped. "You took two Dark Mocha Frappucinos before we went out, don't even deny it."

"What the hell? Do you think it induces hallucinations now?"

"No, but your lack of sleep surely does. Now come on, we have to get the kids back to Wilderness A-S-A-P, and that includes getting them to the museum immediately. Sleep when we're out, but make sure you do wake up when we need you to wake up."

"Y-yeah. Yeah okay."

_( Something tells me he won't. )_

They made one last lingering glance at the sky. Coach's brows were drawn together, while the driver frowned and shook his head, both trudging towards the bus again. Coach caught Reyna's gaze, and lightly cocked his head to the side. Without meaning to, she tugged at Piper's snowboarding jacket. They went back to their seats together.

"So what was it?" Leo was already at the backmost seat, with two bags taking up the seats next to him. If Reyna remembered correctly, they were sitting at the seats in front of these ones... They sat anyway and told him. Apparently, Piper also heard the same thing.

"Next up," he began, "we'll see a shadow of Rudolf the Red-Nosed Reindeer."

"We're still heading to the museum." The coach's announcement clashed against lots grumbles and protests. He wielded his bat and smacked the nearest headrest thrice. "Come on, cupcakes. Just five more minutes and we'll be there. Stick with your partners now and don't lose your worksheet. Gods know I'm going to slap you back to Wilderness with my bat if you lose it!" He made an overhead swing just because.

The bus engine sputtered back to life. Life shambled onward.

"Rey, I hope you don't mind but I checked your bag for the worksheet—" He avoided her gaze, both hands raised. "Okay, okay. I apologize for my intrusion, Your Majesty!"

Without asking, Leo handed her a purple backpack. Nothing fancy. Just plain purple with two compartments and a net holding a full water canister at the side. Unzipping the biggest zipper led to a confounding discovery. A Ziploc of hygienic objects. Canteen of gold-colored liquid: nectar. Brownie squares in a separate Ziploc: ambrosia. A clear vial full of shimmering silver dust: unicorn draught. A pair of sheathed gold daggers: Imperial gold.

The words came out of the blue yet she trusted it more than the girl next to her.

And beneath the neat arrangement of queer items were two extra shirts, also purple. Flipping the shirts up revealed a coil of hempen rope.

"See?" Leo's laugh was half-hearted. "Why would you even bring an empty backpack..."

Empty? The contents are right here—!

"This is weird," Piper looked at the bag with profound interest. "There is nothing in your bag, Reyna."

This is crazy. And yet, Reyna knew — felt, more likely — it was better not to press the matter. Something was on the works. This aura of normality wasn't as normal as they made out to be. Whoever they might be. She zipped the bag closed and noticed something on her forearm.

A dark brand: the crossed sword and torch on top of an SPQR, and right beneath were four bars. She took her eyes off it, hoping she didn't raise any suspicion against those who peered past the false fabric of normalcy.

_( Someone's watching me. )_

Leo lilted to the tune of a dirge. "Well, well, and well. We don't have any worksheets — just about perfect, hermana. And I barely escaped that sixty push-ups earlier—"

"Valdez!" Coach Hedge chuckled. "You will still do that sixty push-ups when we get back!"

Leo feigned a faint and slumped against the seat with a doleful whimper. "Kill me instead."

"It should be easy," Piper offered softly.

He rose from being dead and stared. "Pipes, look at me. Look at my fabulous body and tell me if I could actually survive five push-ups."

Reyna coughed. "It could be worse, like running barefoot across the desert at noon or accidentally eating staplers."

"Don't suggest those to Coach. He would make us do it." Then he pulled out several little things from the jacket pockets and assembled them. There was a light in his brown eyes, like this something he loved doing. Reyna found some ease in just watching him, which surprised her. What she felt about him was the complete opposite of what she felt about Piper.

"Honestly, Reyna," Piper cut through her stillness. "Is there something wrong?"

"There isn't just one thing." Reyna let out a heavy breath. "Everything feels wrong."

The bus finally stopped in front of a building and the rest of the students made half-hearted cheers. Reyna glanced at the windows, finding a nondescript whitewashed building with a simple dome. The only building so far, Reyna noted with a grim nod. Tumbleweed rolled in the scenery, enforcing the isolation of this place.

_( A good place to die alone. )_

On the plus side, she knew she was as well-equipped as any adventurer would be. No one else saw the contents of her bag — her so-called friends already proved that — so why not?

Just thinking about it lifted her spirit.

While they waited for everyone to get off the bus and enter the premises like good little soldiers, she psyched herself for an immediate escape. Maybe not an immediate escape. That would be too obvious. She should fade away like a ghost, some long lost Lar in the midst of modern Rome —

The world twisted beneath her feet.

"Oi, oi, oi, oi, hold it." A pair of hands hauled Reyna upward. Knees weak, bizarrely breathless and bewildered — just what the heck was that? — she looked around again. Both 'companions' pouted with their brows almost meeting at the middle.

"I told you, Leo," Piper said. "She needs help."

He ran his free hand through his hair. "Fine, fine. I'm not trusting that crazy diggity-dog excuse for a coach but fine. We'll ask for help. But if he ends up hurting her in whatever way, I'll call the cops."

"You worry too much."

"No line-stealing allowed!"

"Hey, you three!" The trio didn't see the coach but heard him clear enough through his megaphone. "The cow says moo!"

Their sides hurt from laughing too hard for the second time. Hopping off the bus, the coach was so red-faced you'd think he'd blow out smoke through his nose. After clipping the megaphone he smacked Leo's head. The force almost threw the thin boy to the dirt. "If it wasn't too much work, I swear to Pan I would throw you back to Wilderness School!"

A scolding was inevitable, Reyna thought with a slight smile. And now, my chance. "Coach, would you know where's the bathroom?"

"Inside the building, down the left hall," he replied with that suspicious glare. She was in a mood too good to even care. "Why?"

"Why?" Piper stifled a laugh. "Coach, please. We've had enough of the megaphone antics. May we be excused?"

Wait —!

"Fine," Coach grunted. "Be back in the lobby within two minutes or else I'll throw you back to Wilderness School!"

Now there goes the chance, the lost girl thought as this other, braided-haired lady led her inside. Other kids looked at them with flat stares and shrugs, while the high-heeled girls who looked like a marooned circus troop snickered at Piper's direction. The guy with the football jersey twirled his right forefinger over his head, and pointed at the door.

Suspicion burrowed in, just like she wanted. She kept walking along Piper, who was silent.

Once she locked herself up in one of the cubicles, Reyna rubbed the remaining dregs of uncertainty off her face. Think of a plan when you know the building layout. Or run when opportunity presents itself. Running was easy. She could do that, and gladly so. Just run and never look back.

Unless something threatens others, an inner voice piped in. Even if she agreed with it, she pushed down an indignant snort. What was she, some heroine? A chosen one? As far as her stupidly murky memories go, Reyna had no recollection of being some god-sent salvation...

That made her frown.

No recollection of being a heroine.

Amnesia.

_What if—_

Reyna's breath hitched, feeling a subzero breeze race up her back like a snake. Shaking, arms wrapped around her torso, she sunk, the balls of her feet pushed hard against the tiles.

You are no heroine, it whispered from the depths of her already-perplexed mind. The freezing words gouged her nerves bloody. You're a savior of no one.

Three knocks on her door broke the spell. Then, a voice she would never have expected to save her: "Reyna...?"

"I'm fine," she replied, sharper than what she intended. "G-give me a moment."

"Sure. I'm... going ahead? The way back is pretty easy."

"Okay."

Piper's presence lingered for a few more seconds, then the soft, scuffling footsteps faded. Breathing came slower than usual, helping her lungs adjust to that sudden whatever-that-was phenomenon. Something strange happens when I get to thinking about the gods. The question is why? What's the big deal?

_( Deep inside, I know. )_

_( I just have to remember. )_

But that's easier said than done.

When everything felt close to normal, she flushed, and picked up one of the daggers from her bag. Unsheathed, the golden dagger glimmered with power and ancient magic. Kissing the flat of the blade, she sheathed it again and shoved it down the inside of her jeans. She did the same for the other one, placing it on the other side. Keep the hilt up for an easier pull. She tested it ten times, adjusting the sheathed dagger every now and then. It was important that she could pull it fast in case something needs to die immediately, but in a way that she wouldn't impale herself. Confident that it wouldn't fall or impale her, she took her bag from the hook and showed herself out.

The door wouldn't open.

With a frown, Reyna kicked and twisted the doorknob. Nothing. I don't have any choice. She pulled one of the daggers and estimated the doorknob's dimensions. Once sure (or as sure as she could be) where the doorknob ends, she stabbed the wood. Grunting, she pushed in until she didn't feel the hard surface on the tip of her blade anymore. She sawed up and down, each thrust faster than the last. The vibration rattled her arm but that's the least of her concerns.

_( I have to get out of here! )_

And then: footfalls from the outside. The world stopped. 

Every beat against the floor sounded close. 

_( Someone's coming. )_


	2. II | PIPER

**PIPER COULDN'T QUIT QUARRYING RUBIES**  from her lips. Her nerves wanted a way out for this crazy good energy. The good part was debatable. Things rarely went good for her.

The numerous smarting spots on her lips demanded attention. Her soul cried for a cure. Everyone talked. The room's vastness made it seem that they don't. She had one vial of painkiller, of attention, and it wasn't for her soul nor for everyone else. Her tongue tentatively flicked out of its wet cavern to taste the fresh film of blood. Tastes like nothing. Tastes like sin. In that microsecond the smarting stopped shop.

And then she did it again, biting. And again. And again. Every mark littered her lips like bug kisses. In time they'll chap from dryness. Another round of pain will come.

( But there's pleasure in it, don't you think? )

Her blood among many things drew a hazy border between waking and dreaming. It's one of the few things that kept her anchored to reality. It said, here lied the beast, human, and god. A hazy border was better than none. So Piper squinted to see the edges. Where not to cross, to stay where she belonged.

Alas, blood was poor ink. It fades.

( Just like you. )

While her will to live mirrored a small chunk of Element 116 cascading along the radioactive decay table, the energy incurred of this accursed ADHD did not. It would take some time for it to disappear. Sometimes, the time never came at all. Posing normalcy was something she did so often it slipped out like fresh jam across hot toast, though. In a world where crude ableists will never stop at their verbal jabs, to put on a show was a necessary. Especially for the famous actor's daughter.

( Who said you can't play like a normal daughter? )

( I did. )

And it laughed.

Piper was, in no way, normal. Not just because of her condition. Short of breath, she gripped her new fountain pen and dabbed the edges of her worksheet. Shouldn't you be writing? I can't understand the words. They look like spaghetti. Black incomprehensible spirals blossomed beneath her slender fingers. Ground me to the sandy beach, not the sea floor. Ground me to the sandy beach, not the sea floor. Ground me to the sandy beach, not the sea floor.

Muttering those pleas like a prayer didn't help.

Once more the surfboard at her salt-crusted feet transmutated to an endless chain, dragging her to the depths. To ground herself she must grind something in return.

Piper made the worksheet wept dark tears.

He wouldn't like the mess on your worksheet, the formless companion whispered gleefully in her mind. You messed up again, Piper.

Seven black holes, all were almost interconnected. Except for the one at the far left.

( Odd one out. )

For one queer second it almost sounded like her father.

He did say it on their last day together.

The brain didn't understand the passage of time. It didn't know how long did she spent the day before her fickle world shattered again. It didn't count how many times she failed. A memory tickled the fancy of her reverie. In her youth she thought fondly of her parents — the one with her and the one far, far away. Despite their respective flaws, adults must be so sorted out in the head. To smile and wave as if nothing ever went wrong with their lives. The assurance in every pat. The love in every kiss.

It's the first lie she learns.

( A good start. The human condition has always fascinated us. )

( And cut! Great take! )

Piper groaned, her upper body sliding over her crossed legs. A breeze slipped against her skin, her legs almost alight. High. So high. They were inside a certain room with two walls made of clear, strong glass. The glass walls offered a great view of the canyon floor. From here she could see the different strata of eras before humanity lived. Although most of them were rocks, it still held a lot of history. Sounds of life came back to her auditory senses, taking her back to reality in full.

Her mind was the strangest labyrinth she dealt with. And will be until she died.

Right now, though, her mind sensed another storm on the horizon. Or maybe there's two. Above the Grand Canyon was an aggregation of dark gray clouds. Weird. Storms never formed like that in a short span of time. Inside the museum, Piper had just realized that Reyna hadn't gone out of the restrooms yet. She glanced at her wrist, forgot that she had nothing on her wrist, and decided to ask a nearby classmate. "Hey, did you notice the girl I was with earlier?"

The girl shrugged, then turned back to looking at the canyon floor with a distant smile.

How long had it been? Ten minutes? Saying it didn't matter was another lie. Reyna was important somehow, to the voice lingering in the creases of her brain. She didn't see even a sliver of her shadow. Escape was obvious, with the way she kept saying she didn't belong. Piper tried her best to make her stay—

Not enough, the voice hissed, and a cold wind bit through her snowboarding jacket. You shouldn't have left her.

I locked it, she replied, cautious not to look a little less okay. Keep your face still, focus on the worksheet. Her eyes did the job well enough, though the fact that it keeps looking towards the canyon floor made her feet tingle. Great. I'll never finish this worksheet in time. No one would go there until—

"McLean!"

Her head snapped towards the voice, grateful for his brand of disturbance. The coach's beady eyes were on her, a meaty hand resting on the pommel of his bat. Skin rising from sheer fear against harsh authorities (which the coach undoubtedly provides 24/7) she clutched the pen and stood with an askew smile. "What is it, coach?"

He looked around. "Have you seen that girl?"

It took a moment to sink. "Reyna? I... Haven't, sir. Not yet."

"Why did you leave her?"

Piper clutched the pen so hard her hand complained. "I thought you'd need me here." Her voice sounded like her, but didn't feel like her. "I'm answering the worksheet. My partner, Dylan" — gross, she and the voice agreed — "hasn't come back yet, either. Maybe he likes detention but I don't. And besides—"

"Enough excuses," he snapped, tapping the pommel once. "Get back to answering."

"Yes, Coach."

He left to patrol another pairing, eyes ready to scrutinize every bit of detail. She was about to sit back when Leo said, "You just left her?"

She turned to face him. As always, he assembled another little project on his quick, adroit hands. This time it looked like the skeleton of a helicopter. "Yeah. I think she needs some alone time."

His eyes lit up. Please don't let it be what I'm thinking. "I'll escort her here." Oh, God. I—you!—jinxed it! "She has a penchant for getting lost anyway. Be right back."

Before she could say anything else, he made haste for the doors.

If Piper knew this will happen, she wouldn't have left the girl. Leo Valdez was one of the few people she had. She didn't want him to get caught in the crossfire. Losing another friend, her only friend just this summer, was out of the line.

What was so special about her anyway?

Perhaps because she follows orders and you don't, the voice snapped. And why did you leave her, I wonder?

You can read my mind, she said back. Go ahead and read it like you always —

Pain flashed across her cheeks, like nails biting against her skin. Flinching, she held her hand against the growing sting with a light pant.

Talking back now? It tittered, venom dripping against the wispy innards of her soul. Perhaps Tristan's feeling well today.

"Don't," she gritted through teeth, through hate, fighting back tears. "Touch. Him."

Then go ahead and do your job! Pain slashed across her gut. She doubled over, head almost hitting the glass floor. Her lungs grasped for air. As she swallowed the fear building up in her chest, thoughts of her father crashed the walls of her consciousness. It wasn't the fond ones, but the recent ones, straight out of nightmares and horror books. Bloodied and bruised. Trapezing between his regular life and utter chaos. All she wanted was for him to notice her — but not in those ways she'd done. Why can't I do anything right? Why do I always have to—to... Look, I wasn't even stealing those things! I merely asked! And then... And then... This.

If he learns I did it, that I caused it somehow...

I'm hoping this is the last time, Piper.

His final words on that day.

( I'm sure you don't want that. Or, do you, honey? To get back at him for being the first person who ostracized you? )

That wasn't true.

( Really, Piper? )

Piper blinked back the tears. That's why I'm here — to save him. That's why I'm doing this. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. But to whom am I saying sorry? Am I truly? Why is my mind so confusing? Once her breathing fell to its steady rhythm, or as steady as it could be, she uncurled from the floor and ambled to Coach Hedge with weak legs.

He was back at his little table by the corner. She must've been having that spat for a few minutes. Sifting through papers with a twisted frown pronounced the wrinkles on his face. When she got closer, he looked up. His eyes up close glistened like coal doused with kerosene. Throw a matchstick and he'll be in flames, riot trapped in human skin.

Who's suicidal enough to throw it?

( You? )

"What do you want?" he grunted.

"Coach, is that thing" —Piper gestured at the gray skies— "normal?"

Only then did the coach seem to acknowledge the weather system. His face had gone red again. If he was a dragon he'd be snorting fresh steam. "I don't think it is. I'm sure the weather said nothing about storms today. Gather up your classmates and get back to the lobby. I'll look for that other girl."

Wait! "I— I'll search for her too!"

"No, no. It's my responsibility. She's my responsibility." The voice in her head wailed. This is your fault, your fault, your fault! You shouldn't have left her! Her straight, nonchalant face began to crumble. Fear gnawed at her intestines. "Right now, try to get every cupcake behind those doors leading back to the lobby. Now."

No, no. I promise I'll do better. I'll do better! Please! "D-didn't you tell us in the orientation that this place is safe?" she managed. "I suppose we could just stay here for a moment while I find Reyna in the bathrooms. There's no rains yet anyway, Coach. We'll get inside if — "

"I'm not lying about those seventy jumbo jets thing. Mortals could make great stuff. But I'm not lying or scaring you about this either. Stay here all you want, but remember this. If something happens to them because you didn't follow what I said, it'll be your problem. Not mine." He stood from his seat, which didn't make that much of a difference to his height. "Now move those muscles, McLean, or you'll seriously regret that you didn't."

His steps were small but sure, a steady march. "Everyone, gather up the lobby!"

"What about the sheets—"

"Bugger those sheets and look at that storm! Now go! Follow Piper — she'll be in charge while I go around the building and see who's not here."

Piper balled her fists as he left. Damned if I do, damned if I don't.

( That's why I'm here, you know. To give you freedom from that. )

Freedom in where, an empire of lies? Her gaze flitted to the canyon floor. Only one layer of glass separated her from fatality. From death. The sweetest kind of freedom was so close. So close...

( No way you're thinking of that. We'll kill your father if you die! )

You just proved one thing, she thought, all energies stilled. Calm. I'm thrice-damned either way.

Piper casted her eyes to the charcoal sky, her attention held by a white-blue streak of energy ripping the calmness apart. Beautiful. Around her were people muttering things. Aren't you supposed to lead us? Look at her being useless again. Whatever, let's just go.

It didn't matter to her.

Deep rumbles resonated beneath her feet, the mighty groan across the sky answered by the ground. Flashes of pure light casted an unearthly glow against the gray. An impending tragedy was inevitable. Piper sensed it nearing. A torrent of rain poured so thick and sudden — liquefied ruin cascading in diagonal sheets. There was a unique rhythm to the downpour that she caught amidst the savage winds rocking the glassy platform oh so slightly...

Everyone else in the room hurried for the doors, but Piper stayed. Only one emotion filled her veins and elevated her senses.

_**Relief.** _


End file.
